Circles
by melancholicwhispers
Summary: Real love is a circle. Circles last forever, for eternity.
1. Chapter 1

Suleimon circled the perimeter of the tent holding his wife, who was currently in the process of birthing several times. He was unaware of the blazing sun beating down onto him, as he had grown accustomed to it. After 26 years in the desert, he had to have grown accustomed to one of the desert's many allies, to one of the desert's deadly weapons, along with lack of water. He was worried. Suleimon just prayed that the deity his wife planned to name their child, if female also extended her arms and shielded his wife, and their child.

A loud, throaty scream caused him to panic even more. Suleimon was used to being in control. But this situation was one he could not. Then, a cry startled him. There was silence, and then it was joined by another. Suleimon's tense shoulders relaxed and he swept back into the tent, and gazed at his wife, and then looked to her breast, where she was feeding two lovely babies. His children. Their children. One of which, would be the heir. One of which, who was to be the future Med-jai chieftain. Suleimon smiled at his wife and leant over to his wife, and embraced her, and reached over to his children. He took them in his arms and smiled. This was it. He was complete.

- 18 years later

Ardeth awoke to the sound of horses riding into his village. He then immediately brushed off the sleepiness, and came out of the dreamy state his sleep had left him in when he heard screams. Screams belonging to women and children. He had little time to grab his scimitar when the tent surrounding him burst into flames. Seconds later, he was struggling to breathe. The smoke encapsulating him was choking him, forcing the oxygen out of his lungs and replacing it with the strong, acid gas. Ardeth squinted, the smoke burning his eyes, and panicked. He had nowhere to turn. He surrounded by a wall of flames, which were creeping closer by the second. It wouldn't be long before the fire consumed him. Ardeth tried to shout for help, but no sound came. Even if his vocal chords allowed sound to pass through them, it was unlikely for help to come. So Ardeth sat down, feeling tired, and weary, and allowed himself to fall into unconsciousness.


	2. Chapter 2

The event changed Ardeth completely. Ardeth vowed never to be in a position where he felt so helpless, he promised to himself that he would never let himself get into a circumstance in which he was weak. The fire ate at Ardeth, physically and emotionally. Ardeth gained many scars, both ones you could see, and ones you could only sense. The event hardened him. Ardeth built a wall, which only few could get through.

The raiders killed his father. They attempted to kill Ardeth. But they failed. And this only brought the determination to find these barbarians, and cause them the same pain he felt out further.

One day, Ardeth and his second in command, Shafaiq were walking through the souk. They had travelled to Cairo to meet with Ardeth's uncle, the curator in the museum of antiquities. The bustling crowds of the souk parted like the red sea to let the two men pass. Many people were frightened of the Medjai, and the two men's facial expressions did not help. "Leave me!" Ardeth and his second in command turned to face the direction the shriek came from, and noticed 3 men towering over a young woman in an alley. Ardeth moved towards the scene, but Shafaiq grabbed his arm. "It is nothing to do with us, brother". But Ardeth brushed him off and stormed through souk, and over to the 3 men. The men did not hear Ardeth coming until it was too late. Shafaiq stood at the end of the alley with his scimitar in hand, ready to aid his friend if he needed help. One of the men turned around to face Ardeth, and growled. Ardeth placed his hand on his belt, ready to retrieve his weapon if any of the men came forward. He looked behind the men, to see the woman clutching onto her tattered dress, her arms covered in scratches. Ardeth suddenly grew angry, and let his anger take a hold of him. "Leave now, or you will see no mercy". The other two men turned round, the biggest, and broadest of them chuckling. Ardeth gave them a saccharine smile, and revealed his weapon. The man's smile disappeared, and he pushed past Ardeth, trying to make him lose his footing so he could gain the upper hand, even before the fight had begun. But Ardeth remained glued to his spot, and grabbed the man's shoulder, putting pressure on it, until he begun to squirm. "I think you should go" spat Shafaiq, drawing the three men's attention to the figure at the end of the alleyway. "We're done with her anyway" said one of the men, and he spat at Ardeth's feet and walked out of the alleyway, side-stepping Shafaiq, his two accomplices following closely behind. Ardeth and Shafaiq's eyes were drawn back to the woman, who had long stood up and was brushing herself off. "Shukran" she whispered, and glanced at the two warriors, before quickly returning her eyes to the floor, where her gaze remained as she walked out of the alleyway, leaving Ardeth and Shafaiq stood, until they came back to their senses and continued on to their meeting.


End file.
